Tokyo, 20 April, /AJMEDIA
Yen falls to 20-year low in 129 level vs. U.S. dollar
SYDNEY – The Japanese yen fell to a 20-year low in the 129 zone against the U.S. dollar Wednesday morning amid the prospect of a widening interest rate gap between the two countries.
The yen dropped to the lower end of the 129 range in early morning trading, marking the Japanese currency’s weakest level versus the dollar since April 2002.
———-
U.S., Japan, EU affirm swift aid to Ukraine as assault in east starts
WASHINGTON – Leaders from the United States, Japan and the European Union agreed Tuesday to continue providing swift support to Ukraine as Russia begins a renewed military offensive in the eastern part of its neighboring country, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his counterparts during a video call that the Japanese government will increase the amount of its loans to be extended to Kyiv to $300 million from $100 million, saying that propping up Ukraine’s economy is an “urgent task.”
———-
Japan mulls 4th vaccine shots for elderly, chronically ill patients
TOKYO – Japan is considering making the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions eligible for fourth coronavirus vaccine shots, in line with recommendations by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, government sources said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will also consider whether to make medical staff eligible for the shots after some experts voiced support for the move, the sources said.
———-
IMF slashes 2022 global growth outlook to 3.6% on Russia’s war
WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday projected this year’s global economic growth to be 3.6 percent, slashing its January forecast by 0.8 percentage point due to the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Many major advanced economies faced downgrades in their growth outlooks, including the United States and Japan, as the war drives up energy and food costs around the world, while China’s economy was forecast to slow more than earlier expected amid its stringent restrictions to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
———-
Hayashi concerned about human rights abuses against Russians in Japan
TOKYO – Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday expressed concerns about human rights abuses against Russian nationals in Japan, in reference to hate speech, harassment and other discriminatory acts that have occurred in the country since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February.
“I would like to reiterate a call on the public not to ostracize or defame Russians just because they are Russians,” Hayashi said at a press conference.
———-
China signs security pact with Solomon Islands amid regional concern
BEIJING – China said Tuesday that it has signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, fanning fears among the United States and its ally Australia that Beijing’s military influence may grow in the region.
The agreement, formally signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, will reportedly allow the deployment of Chinese police, military and other armed personnel, as well as the docking of the Asian nation’s ships in the islands.
———-
East Timor’s Ramos-Horta takes lead in presidential poll: early counts
DILI – Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, who came out on top in the first round of voting last month, has taken the lead in East Timor’s presidential election run-off on Tuesday, early vote counts showed.
With 15 percent of the votes counted, Ramos-Horta, backed by the opposition National Congress of the Reconstruction of East Timor party, gained 61 percent and his contender incumbent Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres, the leader of the Fretilin party, won 38 percent, according to the election committee.
———-
Japan logs 412.4 bil. yen goods trade deficit in March
TOKYO, April 20 Kyodo – Japan logged a goods trade deficit of 412.4 billion yen ($3.2 billion) in March, remaining in the red for the eighth consecutive month, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
Exports rose 14.7 percent from a year earlier and imports advanced 31.2 percent, the ministry said in a preliminary report.
